Tag: movie business

Happy Tuesday everyone! How is the week treating you thus far? I was off yesterday and spent most the day decorating for the Christmas holiday. I played loud Christmas music for about 3 hours and started laying the ground work. I still have plenty more to do but I had to write this thing, Monday night football, Mary Jane and hunger all demanded my immediate attention. I’ll have some days this week, the weekend and I may be off all next week, so plenty of time to finish decorating. I’m guessing like most in this business this may be the last week of work for your respected show or film. I know most film industry gigs start shutting down for the holidays. It usually is pretty quiet around here for about 2 weeks. I’m looking forward to it. Alright let’s get into this shall we?

Last week I watched the movie “Rough Night”. It’s not very good but that’s not why I’m writing. If you’ve not watched the film it’s about a bachelorette trip that a group of woman take to Miami, which also happens to be my home town. In the movie shortly after boarding their plane they show an establishing shot of a plane flying over what seems like a replica of the famous Hollywood sign here in Los Angeles that sits on the Hollywood Hills. I’ve also seen this similar sign in the “Bad Boys” movies since they too take place in Miami. My problem with this, THERE IS NO FUCKING SIGN! That sign is a prop that these films have rented out in order to get this shot for their film and I just really don’t understand why. As an aspiring film maker myself I honestly just find it extremely lazy. Miami is an entire city with so many land marks and instead of doing some actual research you choose to just make up a sign like the one they have in Hollywood. I don’t understand the thinking behind it and that’s what drives me insane. As the film maker are you just trying to tell your audience that every city is just like hollywood and has giant sign to represent itself. I can only imagine the amount of tourist that get in Lyfts, Ubers and Taxis and asked them if they could stop by the giant Miami sign near the airport.

I mean I get it, it’s all movie making and imaginative but I just don’t see the sense in shit decisions like this. As a Floridian another misconception that the films has brought my crazy ass state is this thought that it never rains in Miami. I can understand someones misunderstanding when they first visit Miami and experience hourly thunderous downpours interrupted by almost faint inducing heat waves instead of the beautiful days of sunshine that movies have established is the norm in the sunshine state. I mean I don’t blame them, even the nickname “The Sunshine State” is a bit misleading.

I hear people all the time complaining about their cities and countries are being misrepresented in the entertainment business. I would like to think that they do it because it helps the show or film better story wise but I just don’t understand how faking a landmark helps the story. At the very least if they would have had a fight scene at the sign and blown it up but just to use it as an establishing shot is weird ok. I know this may be bothering me more than it should but it does. I guess what bugs me is that I know people do shit like this just because they are lazy. They are lazy and they don’t do the research about it and so they make up shit instead. I’ve worked on quite a few shows out here in LA that are supposed to take place in Miami. In those shows we would often have cars driving around and I always find myself telling the prop department that is in charge of placing fake license plates on the cars that in Florida we don’t have double tags on the vehicles. We only have one tag in the rear of the car and that’s it. Still till this date you’ll watch a show that takes place in Florida but filmed elsewhere and look at the cars driving around you’ll see double plates. Do some research everyone or at the very least just ask someone who lives there is all I’m trying to say. Some of the people I work with get so bent out of shape over the smallest of details but big noticeable crap like this is ok? Consistency everyone, let’s just try and have some consistency.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out another post here at We’re Not Rolling. Please make sure to check out The Toke Talking Podcast that aired yesterday and every Monday. It’s not exclusively aimed at the Film Industry but I do touch on the subject often plus it’s always guaranteed to bring you a laugh or two. Have a great week and don’t forget to stop by on Friday for my Post before the weekend.

Happy Tuesday everyone! How are you doing? Surprisingly so I’m typing this at work on Monday just like I use to do all the time when I started this blog a little over a year and half ago. I really should do this every time I work during post days so I’m not rushing home to write the up every night but I say I’m going to do a lot of things that I never do. Continue reading “That’s LUNCH…”

Happy Tuesday friends old and new. How are you? Did you have a good weekend? I watched Thor: Ragnorok, AMAZING! I went to a wrap party. It was ok, food was great but my plus one vanished for a while so a bit lame. I did get a fare amount of sleep which is always nice. Did you rest up for another fun filled week of film making? Continue reading “Little Boxes…”

Happy Friday! How is everyone on this fine day? I’m fucking pumped that it’s Friday because I worked all week. I know you may just be like “So?” but I haven’t been working 5 days a week lately and when I do I realize that I don’t miss it and that it’s not how I want the rest of my life to go. I’m not a fan of routine for too long and I think I’ve grown tired of the “Usual” 5 day work week. Continue reading “Working In The Elements…”

Happy Friday! I’m going to be straight up with you now, this will be a rant. I’ll try and keep some comedy in there because honestly laughter will get you through almost anything. I love laughing and as of the last 7-8 years I love to smile too. I know that sounds odd, you might be thinking.. doesn’t everyone smile? Continue reading “Are They Listening, Do They Care…”

Happy Tuesday! How is everyone doing this week so far? I was off yesterday and today fortunately but I got some work coming up the next 2 days…or it may only be 1 day as I just noticed that one of the jobs never called me back yesterday. Continue reading “To Watch or Not To Watch…”

Happy Friday! I just worked a full week for the first time in 4 months. That’s crazy…I mean I wasn’t planning on it working out that way. If you read the blog weekly you would know that I thought I was going back on a show that well…I didn’t. So here I am in the world of the unknown, jumping from show to show. It gets so crazy at times that I forget exactly what it is that I’m on. Continue reading “Caring Doesn’t Pay…”

Hello, welcome to We’re Not Rolling Old and New visitors. How was your weekend? I had both a good and bad weekend. Let’s get to the bad first because well..it always sucks. It was bad because I have lots of family and friends in Florida that stayed there for Irma. This fucking Hurricane gave me the most stressful 10 days I believe I’ve ever had. I was really worried about everyone. Continue reading “Right Place, Right Time….”

Happy Tuesday everyone! How was your weekend? Do you remember it or is it a distant foggy drunk memory? I actually did get out to a bar this weekend for a few beers. I don’t drink much anymore so a “few” is usually only 2 but they were delicious. Beer, the drink of the gods. HAHAHA! Well it looks like my summer vacay is about to come to an end. I work all this week and plan to start working at least 4 days a week from here till December when the town goes dark for the holidays. That is unless I get on a gig at which point I’ll be working 5 days a week. I’ve never tried to maintain a 4 day work week and being that I’m not committed to a show yet I thought this would be the perfect time to try it. I like the concept of it because it’s almost an even split between days off and working. We’ll see how it works out and I’ll keep you all posted because I know it sounds super interesting right? HA! Let’s get into this shall we?

Alright off the bat let me bring all those that may not have the luxury (Hahaha) of working in our beloved industry up to speed. On every set…mostly every set (I’m looking at you Non Union world) there is always a Medic. This person is who we go to if there’s an emergency like someone falling off of something OR for something as small as paper cut from a Call Sheet. They are trained medical professionals that keep us safe and healthy on set. Pretty great right? They come equipped with band aids, all the over counter drugs you can think of and a great attitude. I’ve not worked with an angry Medic yet. I guess that says something about the profession and about just helping people in general.

So the reason I wanted to talk about Medics is because I had a story to share with you all today. I know, please try to contain your excitement. So a few years back I was on a show where this Grip that was in a scissor lift came down, made his way to the office and started going on about being dehydrated. We immediately called the Medic who rushed to the office to help this dude out. As the Medic checked all his vitals and we got him some water he started to cool down. The guy then told the medic that he started feeling dizzy and dehydrated. He also said that he had some discomfort in his chest. When the Medic heard this he told the guy that he should go to the hospital. The guy as many people do became a bit apprehensive and clearly did not want to go to the emergency room. The Medic though was very persistent and eventually talked him into it. He explained that anytime there’s any chest pain one should go check it out. That makes sense, there’s a lot of important organs in that area.

Now when anyone from set is sent to the hospital they usually send someone from production with them just in case they need anything and let’s be honest, who wants to go to the hospital alone? I’m not sure why but during my time in this business I’ve accompanied many people who have been sent to the hospital from set. Is that strange that I’m always the hospital side kick? Hmmm…Moving on! So this guy and I jump in a van and head over to the closest hospital. We get there about five minutes later, get this dude all checked in and I hang in the waiting room. Thirty-Forty minutes later the nurse comes out and tells me that I can go back to talk to him. I go in the room and he looks great. He’s up and talking and he tells me that he was good. I didn’t want to ask too much because well, I’m just a co-worker. He told me his wife was on the way and that I should head back to set. I really wish I could’ve just gone home and called it a day at that point but I went back to set. I jumped in the van and put in my usual request of going to Vegas with the driver but as is always the case he just laughed and drove us back to set.

The moment that I jump out of the Van one of the other Grips comes up and asks me how long ago I had left the hospital. I tell him about 10 minutes ago and what he told me next was till this day one of those shocking surreal moments where everything just stops. He tells me that the guy had a minor heart attack, died and then resuscitated. I was shocked but relieved to find out that he was ok now and in stable condition but I must’ve literally missed this heart attack by mere minutes. I don’t know what I would’ve done. I mean honestly he was in the best place to have a heart attack, the hospital and I doubt I would’ve done anything to help his not having it but after that day I promised myself that I would never leave anyone at the hospital alone again. I’ll never forget that day.

I also learned that day that NO ONE should ever be stubborn about your health. I use to be a very stubborn person and always insisting that I was ok. However we must let that go and think clearly in these types of situations. Especially when anyone with any type of medical background makes a suggestion. I’ve seen many people get hurt on set and just try to shake it off. It’s never been anything serious but this particular situation was a perfect example of how something small can turn out to be something bigger. This guy just thought that he was dehydrated and when we finally got word about what happen we found out that he had blood clot that had clogged one of his arteries and shut down his heart. The doctor said that if he had not been at the hospital he would’ve died on set. That’s some pretty terrifying shit everyone. Look I love this business but this is definitely not the place I want to die. I would rather pass away in my sleep or surrounded by family and friends not surrounded by Sky Lights and C-Stands.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out another post here at We’re Not Rolling. This may have just been another story here but I really do hope that some of you out there read this and try to think twice about your health and well-being before the pay check. I feel that a lot of people I work with put way more than they should into this business and it’ll catch up to you eventually if you don’t take care of yourselves. I just want you all to be safe out there, I’m just a concerned fellow crew guy. Have a great week and don’t forget to stop by on Friday for an all new post.

Happy FriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiDAY!!! We made it! Another small life repetitive triumph. You know every Friday that I write that on all my social media platforms “Happy Friday” “Cheers to Friday” some corny crap like that before I take a break from it all on the weekend, I think…”People that work on the weekend must really, REALLY hate that phrase. Continue reading “Living The Dream…”

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Welcome to We’re Not Rolling

Hello all! Welcome to my blog. I started this crazy thing because I've been working in the film industry now for several years now and I needed an avenue to tell some of the insane stories and adventures that I've been on during that time. I also needed to vent about some of the ridiculousness that goes on in this crazy circus that we call a job. I won't ever use any names or specifics so if you're looking for industry gossip this is not the blog for you. I apologize if anyone is offended by anything on here but seriously it's my opinion, no one is telling you to read it. I love working in this business and could never imagine doing anything else, even if it sounds like it makes me crazy at times. It's fucking awsome! Hope you enjoy the rambling and if you got any suggestions let me know.
-PEACE